Snap parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 11 July 2021 after no party was able or willing to form a government following the April 2021 elections. The populist party There Is Such a People (ITN), led by musician and television host Slavi Trifonov, narrowly won the most seats over a coalition of the conservative GERB and Union of Democratic Forces parties. Four other parties (the leftist BSP for Bulgaria, the liberal alliance Democratic Bulgaria, the centrist Turkish minority party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and the anti-corruption Stand Up! Mafia, Get Out!) won seats in the 240-member Parliament as well.
ITN’s success was propelled primarily by young voters. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) assessed the election as being “competitive” and with “fundamental freedoms being generally respected.” ITN announced on 10 August that they are withdrawing their proposed cabinet, making a third election more likely.
Sources and further reading:
The caretaker government of Bulgaria will submit the country’s recovery plan in case of new elections
How chat show host Trifonov lost Bulgaria’s election